Extending threads on steer tube?
 

Does anyone know what the normal cost would be to extend the threads on a steer tube? I feel like I was ***** without a kiss.

$150? did you ask for the price first?

My mistake was exactly that. I did not ask the price first. One would think that I am old enough to know better. I was charged $50 which I would think is way too expensive. Maybe I am just out of touch with reality.

A kiss? I'd expect dinner at least!!!!

I'd say $50 is too little. Depends on what they did. Who did it and how did they do it? My post wasn't serious, I have no idea. If they replaced the steerer, I would expect to pay about that. If they extended the steerer, $50 is more than reasonable. If they did something I think is a bad idea, $50 is way too much.

I'd gladly pay $50 to have it done right.

Do you mean that they threaded the steerer below where the threads went previously? If so, and the steer tube was not chromed, they robbed you blind as it takes all of 5 minutes, max. If it is a chromed steerer, you should pay the cost of a new cutter as the chrome will destroy cutters and then $50 is OK. If they added extra length then $50 was cheap..

I guess I did not communicate very well. The steer tube is too long so I need to shorten it. All they did was extend the threads further down the tube before I cut it off to the needed length. They did not, nor did I ask them to, mill a slot for the washer nub to slide down to keep the keep the head set tight. I expected to pay like $10-$15 just to have about 2" of threads added. I was so shocked when he stated the price I was actually speechless. I drove 50 miles to get a sore bottom. This was the Bike Peddler in Nashville. The had me by the 'boys' and they knew it. It is my fault for not asking the price. You can bet that I will sure send more business thier way.

$50 is a little too high for that I think, but expecting $10-15 is unrealistic. Go price the tool which gets used a couple of times a year in most shops.

If it solves the problem, it was probably worth it...

Last time I needed similar I went to a friend's shop and used his tools!

The Park 1" steerer tube die set costs $200 at Bike Tools, etc..

The OP is right; $50 to add an inch or so of threads to the steerer is too much.

We need to pick up an official BF C&V one we can ship around when the need arises. :P

Local shop does English threads for $10 with their Park cutter.

I'm going to grab one of these the moment I can get one cheap...

-Kurt

I thought he meant that he had the steerer lengthened.

It was early in the morning.

I saw a steere tube lengthened here, I was wondering if this was safe for a road bike?

Some pretty reputable frame builders will lengthen steerer tubes. I'm not sure I would do that myself, although I'm sure it can be done properly and only add a little weight to the bike.

Cutting threads through chrome will put a tremendous amount of wear on the cutters. True. However, it is easy enough to remove that chrome first with a wire-wheel. Adds another 1 minute to the job, and adds no extra wear.

j

I wouldn't want my steer tube to undergo grinding with a wire wheel to remove chrome and then be threaded... Maybe it is a non-logical fear of mine but... As a shop, I would also be worried about liability issues in removing the chrome with a wire wheel.

Thats way to high, I've had the threads extend further down the tube on a few of my forks at my LBS, the first time it was $20.00, all the rest were no charge, yeah, I'd say they rammed you.

I sure feel like I got rammed. I guess he needed the money worse than I did. At least I don't have any trouble sleeping nights.

I paid $30 to have it done recently. But, I live in a place that would normally cost more than TN.

Extending steer tube threads is a time consuming job, done properly, contrary to what some posters in this thread would have you believe. If anyone is cranking out 2" of threads on a thin wall tube like a steer tube in less than 5 minutes, they are doing a lot of damage to their die, and most likely cutting a very poor quality thread. The reason is heat build up. Even when flooded with cutting fluid, a thin wall tube will heat very rapidly when cut. This heat causes expansion, which causes the die to cut too deeply into the tube. Hastily cut threads are very rough in appearance and function.
I get very clean threads by taking my time, usually setting up a threading job while I'm working on something else. Every 10 minutes or so, I advance the thread about one rotation, one quarter turn at a time. Advance a quarter, back a half turn to break and clear the chips.
This is one job where patience really does pay off.
If your shop took this kind of care, I would say $50 is not that unreasonable. If they did a hack 5 minute job, then yeah, you got ripped off.